Case study

The National Grid is dedicated to being the world’s premier network utility. Their core skills lie primarily in the management of large and complex energy delivery networks. They own, operate and develop the high-voltage electricity transmission network in England and Wales and Great Britain's principal natural gas transportation system.

The majority of infrastructure including towers, substations etc is approaching the end if its’ design life. Corrosion, erosion and vibration have degraded the assets over the years, creating demand for significant new investment. However regulatory control and the demands for returns on investment are constraining the companies’ ability to manage this degradation through maintenance.

C3 global were asked to implement a solution which would monitor the condition of steel lattice towers, based on the interaction of tower steel, zinc galvanizing and paint systems with the environment in order to maximise lifespan, capacity and reliability of existing network and plan phased replacements. We were able to organise their resources, so instead of committing themselves to inspecting assets in good condition, they are able to predict the condition of assets based upon combinations of age, weather and environmental factors by monitoring degradation year on year, as well as the integration of a consequence module to enable a risk-based approach to maintenance planning.

The solution enabled National Grid to drive significantly more value from maintenance budgets, protecting the infrastructure and delaying the need for replacement and reinvestment. More confidence in asset condition data helped them to accurately forecast CAPEX and OPEX requirements and manage risk. To surmise, they were also able to improve bottom line profit and loss, enable a proactive approach to maintenance and inspection, and extend asset life and depreciation period.